http://www.cityoutmonaco.com Luxury Lifestyle Guide to Monaco Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:51:54 +0100 Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:51:54 +0100 info@cityoutmonaco.com (Cityout Monaco) http://www.cityoutmonaco.com http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/images/cityout_logo.jpg en-US info@cityoutmonaco.com (Cityout Monaco) Gourmet restaurant Muse open for the summer at the Meridien Beach Plaza hotel
What: Muse Restaurant (click for map) Where: Hotel Meridien Beach Plaza When: 12noon to 4pm, 11pm to 6am until the end of September Web: http://www.restaurant-muse.com Dress code: Smart casual One of the classic Riviera experiences has to be the al-fresco lunch, enjoyed in the fresh air and protected from the heat of the noonday sun by the cool shade of the pines. And whether you go there for the gourmet evening menu or a quick bite for lunch, Muse at the Meridien Beach Plaza provides one of the most perfect settings we know of in which to indulge yourself this summer. The restaurant is designed by Tristan Auer, who was also responsible for the interior design of multiple Paris locations including two Nina Ricci store-in-store outlets at Galeries Lafayette and Tara Jarmon on the Champs Élysées. Simple furniture extends on a stunning terrace out to sea, to provide the essential backdrop for outdoor lunch or dinner. Muse's cuisine is prepared with loving attention to detail in the kitchen of Caribbean chef Jimmy Desrivières. Having trained in the UK and the United Arab Emirates, he brings with him all the experience of the international dining scene. His particular twist is to combine the traditional spices and savours of the eastern Mediterranean with a traditional selection of meat, fish and seafood. So the Landais cockerel is served with oriental spices, the marinated chicken in shish taouk style with mint and yoghurt, and the lamb shank with a jus based on the classic Arabic flavourings of ras el hanout. Lovers of fruits de mer will enjoy the just-roasted squid with cherry tomatoes served with basil and lemon grass. The imaginative shellfish menu also offers prawns marinated in lime with a fresh avocado salad and king prawns in their shells with garlic butter, flat-leaf parsley and a shellfish jus. And if you don't have time for the main menu, the 'Sur le Pouce' (On the hoof) selection  covers all options from pizza and pasta to burgers and chicken wings for around €25 to €30 per dish Desserts include home-made fruit tarts, a selection of macaroons, and organic strawberries flavoured with vanilla and served with lemon sorbet and sesame. The impressive organic wine list has been assembled by the head sommelier of the Meridien Beach Plaza hotel, Dominique Milardi, and includes the very finest labels. The perfect accompaniment, one suspects, for the Muses of classical legend who give their name to this wonderful place.
Read more...]]> http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-whats-on/articles/muse-restaurant-monaco Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:51:54 +0100 http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-whats-on/articles/muse-restaurant-monaco info@cityoutmonaco.com (Cityout Monaco) Hotel launches special November 'Best of France' menu
For the real taste of France, try the new 'Friday' menu at Intempo Restaurant at Meridien Beach Plaza hotel. The luxury hotel's acclaimed restaurant is open to both guests and Monaco residents. Every Friday during November chef Bernard Cuq will take you on a culinary journey to France. Discover authentic French recipes and each week's themes pay tribute to the best of regional French cookery:Relish the taste of Alsace (9 Nov)Experience le Beajolais (16 Nov)Enjoy cuisine of Bretagne (23 Nov)Savour the best of Perigord (30 Nov) The price is a very reasonable €65 per head, not including drinks. We recommend you take the opportunity to stimulate your palate with L'Intempo's head sommelier Dominique Milardi's wine selection. CityOut Directory: Meridien Beach Plaza
Read more...]]> http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-hotels/articles/november-2012-meridien-hotel Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:15:47 +0100 http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-hotels/articles/november-2012-meridien-hotel info@cityoutmonaco.com (Eva Esztergar) The land of Provence and the Var has a reputation for good wine, and you too can invest in a slice of it
One of the major industries in the region of Provence for the last twenty-six centuries, winegrowing in the region gains its particular value from the combination of excellent land and generous quantities of Mediterranean sunshine. Eva Esztergar introduces us to the main varieties, and gives tips on buying a vineyard. A brief history Provence is the oldest of the wine-growing regions of France. The first vines arrived in this territory six centuries before Christ, imported by the Greek community who founded Marseilles - and were maintained continuously until at least 123 BC. At the time of the Roman conquest, wine-making spread to the Rhône Valley. All this territory would later became part of France. The wines produced in this period was a lightly coloured rosé, since fermentation of the pulp and skin was not yet practised. The wine remained clear in France and England until at least the Middle Ages, and it was only during the Renaissance, at the request of the English, that Bordeaux started to export darker wines. In early times, a distinction was drawn between lightly-coloured wine, 'vin plaisir', which was reserved for nobles, and 'vin foncé', which was considered almost as a foosdtuff for the labouring classes. The age-old tradition has never died in Provence, and today 86% of total production centres on wines of the rosé variety, though its reds and whites are also highly prized - and no longer just for the workers! 'One can attribute the popularity of rosé today to the rediscovery of the 'vin plaisir' as exactly that - a wine for pleasure', says Francois Millo, president of the International Council for Provencal Wines. The vineyards of Provence run from west to east, along a 200 km-long line from the Alpilles to the Esterel massif. Located mainly in the departments of Var and Bouches-du-Rhone, with a further niche in the Alpes-Maritimes, the domains of Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois-en-Provence produce wines of great aromatic diversity, with very different accents but with all the sunny character of the Mediterranean climate. As well as the well-known AOCs Côtes de Provence and Cotes du Rhone, the region is also responsible for Aix, Bandol, Cassis (principally white wines), Luberon and Ventoux. The Côte de Provence, some 16,000 hectares, has a relatively recent appellation only thirty years old. Historically, their speciality is the rosé: clear and aromatic but not over-sweet (a typical Provencal pink retains less than three grammes per litre of sugar); reds tend to be powerful and robust, and keep for several years; whites have a delicate, ethereal quality. The vins de Bandol, on the other hand, were awarded their AOC in 1914, and represent some of the oldest vineyards in the region. Bandol reds aged in oak are most popular. The rosés are much younger and fresher, and the whites comparatively sharp. The AOC Coteaux Varois is a 15 year-old newcomer, with a more even distribution of red (40%) and rosé (55%), produced on 1,600 hectares spread over 28 districts from Brignolles to Ste Baume. Closer to the coast itself is the wine region of Nice, with its premiers crus such as Château de Bellet and Château Crémat. The Bellet vineyard, whose AOC dates back to 1941, is planted on land originally cultivated for wine by the Phoecian founders of Marseille. Its red and rosé grape varieties include Folle Noire and le Braquet, and the whites Chardonnais and le Rolle. Yet another great wine, served in the most luxurious hotels of Cannes, is the famous Vin des Moines from the vineyards of the Abbey St Honorat on the Isles of Lerins. The evolution of vineyards 'The economy of our region is extremely healthy - for several years we have sold the entire harvest', says Millo. 'And this has certainly had an effect on land purchases. Twenty years ago, one bought a vineyard in Provence as part of an estate, and would rent out the land. Then there was a wave when housebuyers began to entrust the management of domains to local winemakers and experts. Today, we see speculators investing big fortunes in vineyards, but above all it's vignerons from other regions who come to Provence, to complement their range of wine with an additional rosé. From Champagne and from Bordeaux, everyone comes here for their rosé. It is a sign of recognition that's very important to us. The market has definitely moved from private speculators to wine specialists.'Buying a vineyard Buying a vineyard is not a straightforward business - one must proceed through a specialist agency because the sheer range of products - not just the vineyards themselves, but also cellars and estates - require specific technical know-how. The network Vinea is recommended for those who wish to learn in detail. The trend is upward, according to François Millo, although the numbers are nothing now compared with the heady days when the price in francs became, overnight, priced in euros, leading to huge profits for some... Vineyard land prices are tied strongly to both the retail price of the wine and the reputation of the region. 'I think what's pushing the prices up currently is the shift from impulse buyers towards those seeking to live here in the sunny climes of the region: they're after the good life -  not just the place but the wine that goes with it. Provence has a very bright future, subject to two conditions: firstly, it must retain its leadership in rose, and secondly must not forget production of red. that';s the way to ensure the reputation' concludes Millo. ___Budgetting to buyMake sure you are within budget.Prices start at about £500,000 in Provence, but be prepared to pay more once contigencies and running expenses are taken into account The economics are important. An ideal area is about 20 hectares - i.e. enough to produce 130,000 bottles a year It's well worth while paying extra for an estate with good vines and an established reputation and distributorAttached properties are usually French farmhouses (Mas); an estate with a Chateau will cost much more There are two varieties of land - Vin de Table and AOC (Appelation d'Origine Controlee). With Vin de Table land you can declare your wine as Vin de Table or Vin de Pays - depending on the varieties of grape you plant Given that the deal may take time to go through, ensure that you have an arrangement with the vendor to continue to farm the estate before you own itYou will have to work hard to sell your wine in a competitive marketplace, especially in France Remember to budget for the cost of employing people in France Vineyards keep their valuel - even if your winemaking business doesn;t work out,  the land and property will increase in value, especially in a good area. Prices are currently rising 25-30 per cent per annum ___ Currently on the market For €2 990 000, a vineyard of 20 hectares in the Var: for an enthusiast who wants to settle there. Capifrance Estate Network - Valerie Trinela +33 6 34 42 16 07. In the Var always a unique property consisting of 1,000 acres of woods, meadows and vineyards, plus a landscaped park and secluded valley is currently on sale (POA,  Cebinet Raveyre, Frejus +33 4 94 53 35 37. A 13 hectare vineyard with a soothing ambiance and exhibiting a certain 'quality of life' is on offer from Alexander Claus +33 9 51 11 39 35 / +33 6 03 83 39 34. For those who are looking for an AOC, there is a vineyard for sale with a country house and barn  - Thbaud Desprets +33 6 07 37 41 63. Also vineyard with potential for organic farming, AOC quality,  twenty acres, €3 900 000. In the hinterland of Saint-Tropez, a large winery and equestrian estate - 200 ha of whch 70 acres are vineyards (AOC Cotes de Provence) from Pierre Azur +33 4 94 73 28 40. Also offered, another AOC covering 9 hectares at the foot of Sainte-Victoire.
Read more...]]> http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/articles/vineyards Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:28:46 +0100 http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/articles/vineyards info@cityoutmonaco.com (Cityout Monaco) President Obama has pardoned a turkey, but not the one that will be shortly served up in Monaco!
What: Thanksgiving Day Buffet Where: Fusion on the Port When: 7.30pm Thursday 24 November 2011 Although its origins lie firmly in the annals of America's founding fathers, Thanksgiving is one of those days of the year which is known and respected all over the world. The fourth Thursday in November, originally a harvest festival, is now the occasion for stirring patriotism, celebratory food and drink, and - wherever Americans find themselves in the world - a social event for the whole community. Centrepiece of the day is the roast turkey, and there will be plenty of the traditional bird - and all the trimmings - at the Monaco-USA Association's Thanksgiving Buffet on 24 November. Of course, it will not be one of these specially presidentially-pardoned turkeys, which are allowed to live out their days at Mount Vernon, the historic home of George Washington: Everyone (and that includes members, non-members and friends of all nationalities!) is invited to share in America's favorite food holiday at Fusion on the Port, next to Port Hercule. The meal will include an all-you-can-eat buffet and open bar with wine, beer and soft drinks for a total of €45 per adult or €20 per child - and the event also includes the usual tombola with some fantastic prizes!Reservationsshould be made bycheque payable to 'Starsnbars' and sent or delivered to them at 6 quai Antoine 1er, Monaco. Please mark 'Thanksgiving' on the cheque!On the Menu Roast Turkey, homemade stuffing and gravy, plus corn on the cob, cornbread, cranberry sauce,  creamed onions, sweet potato, green peas, apple, pumpkin & pecan pies and brownies.Voulez-Vous a Pumpkin Pie? New MonacoUSA member Jennifer Barnaby has a great idea that will delight pumpkin pie lovers living in Monaco - and go to help a good cause.  For Thanksgiving, she'll be making twenty traditional pumpkin pies through her Monaco-based charitable bakery, 'Cakes for a Cause'.   For a €60 donation, you can have a home-baked pie delivered to you in a pretty box on Thanksgiving itself. For €5 more, you can have real whipped cream too! All proceeds from operation 'Voulez-Vous a Pumpkin Pie?' will go towards either Monaco Aide et Presence or the Nepal Youth Foundation.  If you'd like to order one of Jennifer's pies, please visit her website, www.gustia.net
Read more...]]> http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-community/articles/monaco-usa-thanksgiving-day-dinner-2011 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:50:59 +0200 http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-community/articles/monaco-usa-thanksgiving-day-dinner-2011 info@cityoutmonaco.com (Cityout Monaco) O' zapft is! Join us for a week of Bavarian-style beer and bratwurst at the Café de Paris
What: 6th annualOktoberfest Where: Café de Paris When: 21 to 30 October, 7pm to 12.30am Tickets: €15 (choice of special menu) Reservations +377 98 06 76 23 Website : http://www.montecarloresort.com E-Mail : brasseriecp@sbm.mc To Italians, the word 'Monaco' means two places: the principality on the Côte d'Azur, and Monaco di Bavaria, or Munich, as we call it in English. And it's from Monaco di Bavaria that the tradition of Oktoberfest has spread across the world. For years, they've been celebrated the coming of autumn in Germany with vast quantities of bratwurst, sauerkraut, music, dancing and - of course - plenty of beer. And here in the other Monaco, where there never needs to be an excuse for a party, that tradition is live and kicking! From Friday 21 to Sunday 30 October 2011, Oktoberfest takes place once more in the splendid surroundings of the Café de Paris. In a marquee on the terrace, specially decorated in true Bavarian style, you can enjoy entertainment from Bavarian group Echt Guat as well as a traditional Oktoberfest menu cooked up by top chef Jacques Lambert. The opening ceremony takes place in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II and a Bavarian delegation, with the cracking open of the first barrel of beer to cries of  'O’Zapft is!' (The barrel has been tapped!). Following this comes an evening of merrymaking provided by representatives from both countries, dressed in traditional costume, led by yodelling girls and 'front man' Michael Stumberger. But the main focus will be the beer. For this special event, Weihenstephan, the oldest brewery in the world, now owned by the State of Bavaria, will offer its finest traditional Bavarian beers, including their 'Kristallweissbier' white ale which won the Grand Champion Trophy in Melbourne.   
Read more...]]> http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/articles/oktoberfest Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:39:55 +0200 http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/articles/oktoberfest info@cityoutmonaco.com (Cityout Monaco) Monaco's world-famous bar on the waterfront at Port Hercule welcomes you for the summer
What: Stars'n'BarsWhere: Quai Antoine 1er, Port Hercule, MonacoOpen: daily (Jun-Sep), Tue-Sun (Oct-May) Happy Hour: Tue-Fri 6-8pm Web: http://starsnbars.liferiviera.com Independence Day kicks off tonight with a fantastic party on the port starting at 8 o'clock! What better place to celebrate than the place named after 'Old Faithful' itself?More information and interactive maps for Stars n BarsOne of the world's great harbour-side bars, this converted warehouse on Port Hercule offers three floors of entertainment including a full-service restaurant with American cuisine, an authentic US-style sports bar, and extensive game arcade. The bar is also completely equipped with wifi, plasma screens and a cutting-edge sound system.Stars 'n' Bars hosts countless private parties, receptions, press conferences, fundraisers and special events each year, and in the evenings there is a vibrant events calendar including dancing and stand-up comedy. And if you have small children, you can relax—there’s a supervised children’s playroom, so you can sit back with your chill cocktail while taking in breathtaking views of the harbour and skyline. The Fusion on the Port restaurant offers a superb Japanese and Thai-inspired menu, and a range of delicious cocktails. Create your own dish with the Fusion Hot Pot, or enjoy the sushi maki buffet.More information and interactive maps for Stars n Bars
Read more...]]> http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/articles/stars-and-bars Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:17:45 +0200 http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/articles/stars-and-bars info@cityoutmonaco.com (Photographs by Naneen Rossi; Interview by Alex Went) Kate Powers is the founder of Stars'n'Bars, Monaco's much-loved sports bar complex on Port Hercule
Kate Powers is a well-known face in Monaco. She's the manager of harbourside eatery Stars’n’Bars, one of the Principality’s most successful ventures. We asked her all about it, and soon discovered that Kate’s entrepreneurism runs in the family:  ‘My mother and brother had already opened the former Le Vesuvio restaurant and renamed it Le Texan (on the suggestion of Prince Rainier), serving TexMex and American specialities. I met my partner Didier Rubiolo there and - with a lot of hard work and love - Le Texan became very popular, with a very diverse clientele from movie stars and millionaires to local business people and families.’ But it wasn’t just the food that made Le Texan an innovation at the time, she says: 'We were especially successful with families and children, with our kids’ menus and birthday parties. Although Princess Grace had introduced Hallowe’en to Monaco when we were children growing up here, no other business was doing it yet. We were the first to introduce it as an annual celebration. At first it was only us and our staff in costumes  - but boy has that changed!' After five successful years, it was time to expand. A friend introduced Kate and Didier to a huge warehouse in Fontvieille, and they came up with the idea of setting up a sports bar, with children's play area and night club. ‘Our creative juices had just started flowing, when the government decided to keep that area for other purposes. Thank God - because they moved us to the Harbour of Hercules! We were blessed with our beautiful new location. It had been the old industrial district and was an old run-down building - perfect for what we wanted to create: I called it the ghetto of Monaco!’ Kate has clearly lost none of her zeal: ‘SnB was a project created out of inspiration and love. People thought we were crazy to open such a big complex eighteen years ago during an earlier economic crisis - but it felt so right to us. There was a niche we felt there was a real need for. We followed our hearts, injected the place with love, all the time driven by an inner feeling. You know the baseball pitch in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ - ‘If you build it, they will come’?  It was just like that: we trusted our intuition, as we always have done.' The baseball reference reminds me to ask Kate something: she's originally from St Louis, a US city that was originally set up by French fur traders. How did it feel to be bringing back a little of the States to this part of the world?  She puts me right: ‘I was born in St Louis but was actually raised from an early age in Monaco. The whole idea was to bring Monaco and US together in our concept. Our logo, for instance, is a combination of the two flags.  Sports bars are popular in the US, usually based on football or baseball and hockey -  but we had many varied sports celebrities living in Monaco, and imagined a more fun, diverse collection. Now, thanks to donations from our celebrity clientele, we’re probably one of the biggest sports bar museums! There are also over 300 photos on the walls with various celebrities who have been our customers over the years.’ I put it to Kate that perhaps it’s that combination of a wide ranging clientele, from royalty and racing drivers, to day trippers and tourists, that’s the secret of the bar’s success. She agrees, but thinks it cuts both ways: ‘Celebrities enjoy coming because they can eat discreetly without lots of fanfare, and other customers enjoy the thrill of knowing that on any given day they may be sitting next to a famous race car driver, film star ...or prince!’  But according to Kate, location also plays an important part in creating that special buzz. ‘Each May, the restaurant is located directly in front of the Monaco Grand Prixpaddocks where the greatest Formula 1 drivers in the world and their teams set up headquarters during the four-day racing event.  It’s the ideal place to indulge a bit of people-watching. We have a long history of working with Grand Prix personalities, and the restaurant is filled with helmets, racing suits, car parts, even an entire Formula 1 car, given by the drivers!’ And it doesn’t stop there. At the other end of the busy summer, SnB plays host to the Monaco Yacht Show: ‘We generally host the largest ‘Captain's Party’  in the principality, providing a ‘home from home’ for hundreds of ‘yachties’ during the season. ‘But our most important clients remain families and their kids, especially the ones who have grown with us over the last 18 years. I'll always remember standing in front of Stars a couple of years after opening and watching the children from the International School walking by. One 3-year old stopped, looked up over my head at the entrance and said ‘I love Stars’n’Bars’. I couldn't help but choke up and thank God for guiding me!' Stars'n'Bars is a local bar, but it has a really cosmopolitan feel, with Fusion on the Port specializing in oriental dishes, and British comedy nights; it's a unique global blend which Kate and Didier are now translating to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Did they foresee the same enthusiasm out there for the brand? ‘Change is important, and it’s exciting for us to be launching Monaco's first restaurant franchise that will bring our style of food and service to customers around the world. The first opened in Abu Dhabi in November 2010 and a second is planned for Dubai this spring. Like Stars'n'Bars in Monaco, the decor of the new restaurants will capture the spirit of international sports such as racing, tennis and yachting but it will also celebrate the cultural and social aspects of the principality. 'Individual sections of the restaurant will feature large photo murals of Monaco, places and events and there will be non-stop audio-visual presentations promoting Monaco news, events, charities and activities, including a focus on Prince Albert II’s leadership in protecting the environment.' That focus is perhaps one of the most important for Kate, who was strongly influenced by the Prince’s mother, Princess Grace. ‘She was and is a big part of my inspiration in doing my best for the country and supporting it. And with the prince, we share an ecological view for sure.  SnB is strongly committed to respecting the environment, conserving energy and avoiding waste wherever possible. I'm a stickler for all things green. Since 2005, Stars’N’Bars has organized Monacology Week, an annual event whose objective is to inform and support young children, teenagers, adults, and also managers of companies, to commit themselves and support environmental actions. We have also worked with the Prince Albert II Foundation to educate local restaurants on how to use alternatives to the endangered tuna and have participated in the Sail to Barcelona event to raise consciousness about pollution and our oceans. 'We think the combination of our successful American-style food and service, international sports focus tied together with the glamour of Monaco should produce an exciting franchise opportunity all over the world. We've also received interest in the franchise from Brazil, Monte Negro, Singapore, Germany and, yes, even the USA!'   Thinking about Kate's success, I can see why she finds the Grace Kellyconnection strong in Monaco. 'I feel her spirit is still strong here. She was and is a big part of my inspiration in doing my best for the country and supporting it. I think people will always refer to Monaco and Princess Grace - when I travel sometimes I've been asked where Monaco is, and when I mention Grace Kelly, they get it!'
Read more...]]> http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-community/articles/kate-powers-stars-bars Tue, 31 May 2011 15:33:36 +0200 http://www.cityoutmonaco.com/monaco-community/articles/kate-powers-stars-bars